Cal Thomas commentary: Lack of old-fashioned values has nation on the road to ruin

Wednesday

Dec 4, 2013 at 12:01 AMDec 4, 2013 at 10:37 AM

"Black Friday" was a metaphor beyond the merchants' bottom line. Headlines on last Friday's Drudge Report reflect a culture that is being trampled by the greed and me-only attitude of a growing number of us.

“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.”

— John Lennon

“Black Friday” was a metaphor beyond the merchants’ bottom line. Headlines on last Friday’s Drudge Report reflect a culture that is being trampled by the greed and me-only attitude of a growing number of us:

Once, such stories seemed isolated, even bizarre. In the era of flash mobs and a growing entitlement mentality fueled by politicians and “income inequality” alarmists, these far-too-frequent instances now seem to be symptomatic of a decaying culture.

Like those with symptoms of illness who refuse to see a doctor, if we ignore this pestilence that is destroying our foundations, it will get worse. These incidents are the result of a nation that has ceased to impose — yes, impose — the old values that served previous generations well.

The dark night is rising, and it isn’t a Batman movie.

The latest, but probably not the last, expression of what I mean is what used to be called assault and battery, but now is labeled the “knockout game,” in which mostly young men see if they can randomly knock another person unconscious with a single punch.

People and nations must be ruled by something, or there is anarchy. Either it is God, or secular laws that control our lower nature. Today, we are out of control as we pursue happiness through prosperity in the false hope money and things will satisfy. The problem with prosperity is that one is never satisfied. As the ancient writer said, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10) Who today is satisfied with his income and circumstances?

In my neighborhood, there are old houses built during World War II, and at that time they sold for well under $20,000. One of these houses is currently on sale for more than $1 million. Far larger and more-expensive homes stand on lots where smaller and cheaper homes once stood. These new homes are called “tear-down houses.”

How many regard these larger houses as steppingstones to an even-bigger next house? What is the purpose, other than ego fulfillment? The estate sale is the end of it all.

If things satisfied, wouldn’t Americans be the most satisfied people on Earth? We have more stuff than any generation before ours. The overflow we deposit in rented public storage units. The stock market is up substantially, but we want it to go higher with no bursting bubble this time. Then what? What will we do with more? Will tomorrow’s “more” satisfy when today’s “more” hasn’t ?

Previous generations had less and yet seemed to have more of what matters: more character, more virtue, more contentment — all of it reinforced by parents, clergy and, for the most part, culture. In our day, materialism has become a false god we worship in the vain hope it will bring peace. In our conspicuous consumption, we are self-immolating, and the fuel is materialism.

Given the behavior of so many on “Black Friday” and other examples of cultural decay and national decline, many of us seem to be doing just that. Israel’s King David warned, “The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.” (Psalm 12:8).